**2/5 Stars - Disappointing Food, Excellent Server** Had high hopes for Barrel 53 but left feeling pretty let down. The food quality was seriously lacking across the board. Our fries came out clearly double-cooked - you could tell they'd been sitting around and reheated. The wings were so overcooked they were practically jerky. As for the hand-breaded tenders, they were crispy alright, but only because there was barely any breading left on them. The only saving grace of this entire experience was our server Diana. She was absolutely fantastic - attentive, friendly, and professional despite what seemed like a chaotic kitchen situation. She's honestly the sole reason this review gets 2 stars instead of 1. I'm genuinely glad to hear this is her second job because with the way things are going here, I'd be shocked if Barrel 53 makes it another 6 months. Diana deserves so much better than this place. If you're thinking about dining here, maybe wait and see if they can get their kitchen sorted out first. read more

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Food is excellent. I would recommend this to anyone who is in this area stop in and be amazed.

What a wonderful place to eat!! The food was wonderful. We started with 2 bourbon sours for national bourbon sour day and they tasted amazing. The waitress Christy was right there every time we needed anything. The hand dipped chicken strips were to die for. And the chicken wings were done to perfection. A definite "10" we will be back read more

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Food, service and ambience were amazing. Staff was extremely accommodating and made sure our meals were well prepared. read more

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Chef D is amazing, he makes everything from scratch and you can taste the difference. The food is delicious, you have to stop and check it out. Thank you Chef we had a great time! Devon read more

Stephanie and her sister Jos make this place tick! Their personalities and their service are unbeatable. The food is very good but delivered by these girls makes it all a fabulous experience. read more

Barrel 53 is the restaurant and bar inside the yet-to-open Hotel Lex at Exit 104 of I-75 in Lexington KY. Just a few miles down the road from my house. So, when I saw they were locally owned, open, and featured a bourbon bar, I added it to my Must Try list. The opportunity arose when a musician friend told me he was playing there on July 1. So, off I went to join his wife, a couple other friends and a couple dozen other patrons for a Saturday night of food, drinks, live music and friends. The whole evening was a winner! The space is decorated as one would expect a bourbon-themed place to be, with dark woods, barrels, large bar. It is very spacious with booths, tables, high tops, and a small private room. The staff were friendly, attentive, and proud of what they were doing there. The food was fantastic!! Great presentation, lots of options and everything prepared perfectly! My friends and I enjoyed all our dishes from chicken to hot brown to grilled cheese to apps. And the Brussel Sprouts were killer. Then we shared an apple crisp dessert that was more than enough for all of us to sample. The bourbon list is good and growing with reasonable prices. Their cocktail list takes imaginative twists on classics. (But don't let them use bottled lime juice concentrate! If they do, ask them to remake it and they will. Hopefully, I made my point when I suggested they reserve that for the cleaning closet, not the cocktail well.). They had really good beer specials, too! $2.00-4.00 for good stuff! Whether you live in Lexington, come for a visit, or are just passing thru on the interstate, this place should be in your restaurant rotation. read more

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The food is pretty mediocre. It's not bad but it is also not great. Now the service is another story. The service is spectacular. Everyone is so nice and very welcoming. I will be back just because of the service. The ambiance of the place is very welcoming and warm. We was treated like family that they have known their whole lives. I will definitely be back. We went on a Tuesday for open mic night and the music was good as well. We didn't know any of the music but it was still nice: read more

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I come here a lot because I do the open mics and gigs there. The food is always amazing! The salmon is so good. The main bartender and server is so friendly and fun. It's a nice place and a nice hotel. Definitely worth a visit. The live music is also good! read more

Barrel 53 - salmon with seasonal veggies - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

Whenever I'm in or around Lexington this will forever be my go to! Locally owned & The people here are absolutely amazing and so welcoming. Barrel 53 is the restaurant & bar located inside the hotel and the food NEVER disappoints, The Barrel Burger is BOMB & their fries are even good later when they are cold. The younger bartender is seriously the best and has the sweetest soul!! I placed first in one of their karaoke competitions so they comped my room (bathroom was extra fancy btw) and seriously made me and my family feel like we didn't want to leave lol!! Thanks Hotel Lex & Barrel 53 for making us feel like family, we will always recommend yall to anyone planning a trip or heading through & will have forever memories from my family read more

Barrel 53 - Lemon Drop Martini with a pink sugar rim - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

My husband & I tried Barrel 53 for the first time today. We ate early so our service was great. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. I got the grill chicken tenders, seasoned vegetables and sweet potato which was really good. My husband got the side salad which was chopped and delicious with in-house made ranch dressing. His main course was the burger platter which was excellent. His burger was perfectly grilled and the French fries were crispy, well seasoned, & delicious. We are excited to have such a nice restaurant on our side of town that is both delicious and affordable. Give it a try the next time you get off on Richmond Road, it's located in the newly renovated Hotel Lex. read more

Barrel 53 - Front entry way - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky

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We came by on a Saturday night because the management booked a local alternative bluegrass band called 3 men & a banjo. Good! Get em here again! I liked the food options and the prices were good too. Cheers! read more

The food and service were fantastic- we had the grilled salmon and burger at the bar. it was cooked to perfection. Nice fluffy crisp fries. Bartender was great. read more

We were traveling through and stopped for lunch. Our server was very kind and helpful. The food was delicious. We enjoyed the large, spacious booth. We'd stop again if in the area! read more

First of all, the carbonated soda wasn't working in the pop machine, so the drinks were all syrup. We changed drinks 3 times, until I figured out the problem and told them. I immediately asked them for extra salad dressing and BBQ sauce when our food arrived, we never received it. I asked 3 different times. The waitress never checked on us at all during our meal. My salad was so dry I could not eat it, hence no extra dressing. When she did come to the table I had to flag her down, I told her to take my salad off the bill, and she said she'd get the manager. 20 minutes later, he still did not show up to the table. I went in search of him and found him rolling silverware. I was attempting to tell him what was wrong, when a rude gentleman ejected himself into my conversation, so I said nevermind, just get me my bill so I can leave. This restaurant was highly recommended by staff and friends. NEVER will I go back!!! I LOVE the hotel, but refuse to eat at Barrell 53 again! The food was very good, I will give them that much, but not worth the horrible service, and even worse staff in the kitchen and wherever that gentleman came from... read more

After reading some reviews, we were a little hesitant to stop in, but we did, and I'm glad! Food was great and the service was too! My husband ordered a black and blue drink and they said the blue moon was out, so he ordered a black and orange and it was so good! We will definitely be back soon read more

Only one side offered on dinner entree. Portions were very small I think you get more in a frozen tv dinner :( Salmon was delicious. Mashed potatoes were also good. However not enough to fill up a hungry person. Also had to go back and get silverware didn't come with my take out meal. $30 for a tiny meal is a bit much. read more

The food is absolutely amazing! And they have such a wide variety of liquor selections!! I absolutely recommend giving it a shot. Especially on karaoke night read more

The bartender with the long brown hair is terrible. If you walk in and she is working, turn around and go somewhere else.

I went for their Burger Week burger, and it was very good. Service was good & courteous, and just happened to be on Tuesday night which is Open Mike night! There were some good performances, and made the ambiance even better! I recommend. read more

The food was affordable and yummy but the upcharge for alcohol was ridiculous! 18 dollars for 2 ounces of Makers Mark! We won't be going back. read more

Had dinner on a Tuesday evening. It was open mic night and they had good musicians performing. Ordered two appetizers... wings were ok - ordered dry rub and portion was decent for a $14 order of wings... Mozzarella Wedges were very very small - 4 to an order for $11... small wedges and very small portion size. Ordered food and burger and fries looked good and the person in our party enjoyed it. Two of use ordered salmon blackened - it did not come out blackened - i ordered a side of asparagus and received 3 pieces of asparagus and a very small piece os salmon. We spent over $100 with tip and received about $40-$50 worth of food (if that). While at dinner we observed management and I believe owner drinking and talking with staff. That did not help us get our food in a timely manner. If they want the restaurant to last they have to do better... otherwise it will end up like every other restaurant in that location - closed. read more

Should have known when we walked into an empty restaurant, but we sat and tried to order. Several menu items we tried to order were no longer available and 3 sides were unavailable. The server could only give a recommendation for items no longer on the menu! Strange experience, definitely not worth the stop. read more